Foreign Affairs Correspondent Jonathan has covered conflicts, revolutions, natural and unnatural disasters and has won four Royal Television Society awards for Channel 4 News.
http://www.channel4.com/news/jonathan-miller

Do you trust Jonathan Miller, Channel 4 News, in Damascus?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tp0gZxy7OIk
ITN News or propaganda?
Broadcast on Channel 4 news, Sunday 26th November 2011.
A fraudulent analysis of two recordings of gunshots allegedly made in Damascus at the same time?
First recording: number of shots 5, duration of burst 1.5 seconds; second recording: number of shots 7, duration of burst 2.2 seconds. Timing of shots in no way correlate: For example time between first and second shots: first recording 0.3 seconds, second recording 0.7 seconds.

Good spot Tony. This is just more of the typical presstitute stuff, doing the New World Orders bidding, as they did before Iran in 2002/2003 and before Libya this year. Now Syria, Iran, then Somalia, then ...

"First they came for the Communists and I said nothing because I wasn't a communist ..... "_________________In the end, it's not the words of your enemies you will remember, but the silence of your friends. Martin Luther King

Uploaded by RussiaToday on 3 Dec 2011
Syria's main opposition group has vowed to cut ties with Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas, if the current government goes. Professor Johan Galtung, the rector of the Transcend Peace University, told RT, that agenda goes very well with the regional interests of some other countries.

Perhaps most interesting (for this thread) is Russia is supplying cruise missiles to Syria, enabling it to deter any sea-borne attack (other, I suppose, than a sub-launched attack).
Though I have no love for the Russian system, I am very glad they are stepping in to defend Syria (whose Govt. I also have no time for).
But I have less time for the Brit, US, Israeli and other 'Coalition' War Criminals.

Good on yer, Russia!

Now let's see a similar defense arrangement by Russia supplying the sought-for anti-aircraft missiles sought by Iran, but denied by Moscow.

Any clamour by 'West' about UN Security Council Resolutions can be deflected by bringing up the number of UN and Security Council Resolutions ignored by Israel, and the 'Western' support for Israeli intransigence.

Russia and China must see that smaller countries being taken over one by one will strengthen the Western War Criminals (and yes, Russia and China are of course also 'War Criminal' nations) to enable them to ultimatly take them on._________________'And he (the devil) said to him: To thee will I give all this power, and the glory of them; for to me they are delivered, and to whom I will, I give them'. Luke IV 5-7.

Last edited by outsider on Sun Dec 04, 2011 10:08 am; edited 1 time in total

12 days ago, on November 21, here at Boiling Frogs Post, I reported on the ongoing joint US-NATO secret training camp in the US air force base in Incirlik, Turkey, which began operations in April- May 2011 to organize and expand the dissident base in Syria. I had received the information for that story from multiple sources including highly credible insiders in Turkey and government insiders here in the US. Here are a few excerpts from that story:

You see, those alternative news and blog sites put down by the first cited article had it exactly right. Col. Riad al-Assad has been in Turkey, working with U.S. & NATO, right inside the US Incirlik Base in Turkey, to do exactly what he vehemently denies: smuggle US weapons into Syria, participate in US psychological and information warfare inside Syria as the middle-man whom Syrian protesters tend to trust, and help with funneling intelligence and military operators across the border and night-time drop offs by air.

The joint US-NATO secret training camp in the US air force base in Incirlik, Turkey, began operations in April- May 2011 to organize and expand the dissident base in Syria. Since then, in addition to Col. Riad al-Assad, several other high-ranking Syrian military and intelligence officials have been added to operations’ headquarters in the US base. Weekly weapons smuggling operations have been carried out with full NATO-US participation since last May. The HQ also includes an information warfare division where US-NATO crafted communications are directed to dissidents in Syria via the core group of Syrian military and Intelligence defectors.

Yesterday the following report showed up on the Press TV Website:

Quote:

‘Syrian saboteurs train in Turkey’
The head of Turkey’s main opposition group has accused the government of allowing the country’s soil to be used for training Syrian armed groups, Press TV reports. “Is it appropriate for Turkey to use its soil for training armed forces with the aim of creating unrest in another country?” Kemal Kilicdaroglu, the head of Republican People’s Party (CHP), told reporters in Ankara on Thursday.
“While we have lots of problems ourselves, why do we meddle in the internal affairs of another country?” he added. His remarks came after Turkey’s Taraf daily reported that Ankara was establishing a ‘buffer zone’ in Syria to provide Syrian rebels with shelter.
“We say ‘Great Turkey’, ‘Powerful Turkey’. Can a great and powerful Turkey use its soil to support an armed force with the aim of meddling in another country? Is such an understanding possible?” Kilicdaroglu questioned…
…
The official also accused the Turkish government of having turned into a contractor for the ‘dominant powers.’
…

The story above only goes as far as ‘France’ and the French factor. It stops short of France and other NATO member nations led by the United States in NATO member country-Turkey.

I immediately started checking our infamous US mainstream media sites- still nothing on this significant information. I then contacted one of my high-level sources and asked why he had come to me with his documented report instead of going directly to the big guys. With several credible insiders as his corroborators and a high-level official in Turkey, he would have no problem getting their attention. And his response? Well here it is minus a few expletives:

Quote:

Who said we didn’t go to MSM first? We got them the info back in October. First they were interested and drooling. At least the reporters. Then, they disappeared. We sat and waited for a few weeks, and no one followed up. It is Turkey. It is NATO. It is our CIA guys. The media hot shots would not touch those cases without State Department sanction attached…

So, okay. I was the last resort. But that’s not the moral of this post. This goes down as one more example of very many cases of intentional, willful censorship by the US mainstream media and their so-many- times-proven role as distorters of reality and gravediggers of the truth.

According to first-hand accounts and reports provided to Boiling Frogs Post by several sources in Jordan, during the last few hours foreign military groups, estimated at hundreds of individuals, began to spread near the villages of the north-Jordan city of “Al-Mafraq”, which is adjacent to the Jordanian and Syrian border.

According to one Jordanian military officer who asked to remain anonymous, hundreds of soldiers who speak languages ​other than Arabic were seen during the past two days in those areas moving back and forth in military vehicles between the King Hussein Air Base of al-Mafraq (10 km from the Syrian border), and the vicinity of Jordanian villages adjacent to the Syrian border, such as village Albaej (5 km from the border), the area around the dam of Sarhan, the villages of Zubaydiah and al-Nahdah adjacent to the Syrian border.

Another report received from our source in Amman identified an additional US-NATO Command Center in “al-Houshah,’ a village near Mafraq.
Our Iraqi journalist source in London provided us with the following related information:

Quote:

“Some of the US forces that left the Ain al-Assad Air base in Iraq last Thursday, did not come back to the USA or its base in Germany, but were transferred to Jordan during the evening hours.”

The above information was further corroborated by our correspondent and advisor Nizar Nayouf who interviewed an employee in the London-based office of Royal Jordanian Airlines:

Quote:

“At least one US aircraft carrying military personnel landed in the Prince Hassan Air base located about 100 km to the east of the city of Al-Mafraq.”

Earlier last week, Jordanian news websites disclosed that “Western officials have requested the King to allow establishing an electronic spy station in the north of Jordan (near the Syrian border) in order to access the Syrian army and contact Syrian high-rank officers for convincing them to make a military coup or (at least) rebel against the regime”.

Nizar Nayouf, BFP advisor and correspondent on Syria in London, had the following statement on Al-Mafraq:

Quote:

“The al-Mafraq air base, which now includes Air Force Academy, was a starting point for “conspiratorial activities” by Jordan, The UK and Israel against Syria in the past, particularly in the 1960s. In September 1968, a Syrian commando Major, Salim Hatoom, who fled to Jordan with a number of officers after a failed coup attempt, established a camp from which he started a rebel military against the then left-wing government of Syria under president Nureddin al-Atassi and Salah Jadid. By the end of 1970s and early 1980s, the Syrian Islamic Brotherhood and their military wing “At-Taleeah al-Islamiyyah al-Muqatilah” (the Islamic Militant Vanguard) used the same base for its military struggle against president Hafez a-Assad regime, in which they were being trained by the Jordanian and Israeli intelligence agents, and cars were being bombed before they were sent to the streets of Syrian cities for the killing of innocents and undermining state facilities.”

Mr. Nayouf went on to emphasize the irony of the situation:

Quote:

“I guess history repeats itself but as farce…Last spring, that tens of Syrian soldiers, who fled to Jordan, were transferred to a camp west of the Jordanian city of “Salt”, in which officers from Israeli military intelligence (AMAN) began the investigation with them under the supervision of the Jordanian military intelligence. This was to extract information from them on issues related to the development of the Syrian army, weapons and training, especially after 2006.”

We contacted our expert sources on US media and intelligence-military and were told that the US media has been told not to report on this latest development until Tuesday, December 13. Boiling Frogs Post is the first news website to report on these latest developments.

I saw this on Sunday night but didn't have the nerve to post it. It terrified me somewhat, to be true.

In the wake of the "Arab Spring" and NATO interventions, both official and secret, Qatar seeks to impose Islamist leaders wherever possible. This strategy has led it not only to fund the Muslim Brotherhood and to hand Al-Jazeera over to them, but also to support Al Qaeda mercenaries, who will henceforth oversee the Free Syrian Army. However, this new scenario raises serious concerns in Israel and among the supporters of the "clash of civilizations."

The UN Security Council members are at loggerheads over the interpretation of the events that are rocking Syria. On one hand, France, the United Kingdom and the United States claim that a revolution has swept the country, in the aftermath of the "Arab Spring", and suffering a bloody crackdown. On the other hand, Russia’s and China’s take is that Syria is having to cope with armed gangs from abroad, which it is fighting awkwardly thereby causing collateral victims among the civilian population it seeks to protect.

The on-the-spot investigation undertaken by Voltaire Network validated the latter interpretation [1]. We have collected eyewitness testimonies from those who survived an armed attack by a foreign gangs. They describe them as being Iraqis, Jordanians or Libyans, recognizable by their accent, as well as Pashtun.

In recent months, a certain number of Arab newspapers, favorable to the Al-Assad administration, discussed the infiltration into Syria of 600 to 1,500 fighters from the Islamic Fighting Group in Libya (IFGL), rebranded Al Qaeda in Libya since November 2007. In late November 2011, the Libyan press reported the attempt by the Zintan militia to detain Abdel Hakim Belhaj, companion of Osama Bin Laden [2] and historic leader of Al Qaeda in Libya, who became military governor of Tripoli by the grace of NATO [3]. The scene took place at Tripoli airport, as he was leaving for Turkey. Finally, Turkish newspapers mentioned Mr. Belhaj’s presence at the Turkish-Syrian.

Such reports have been met with disbelief on the part of all those who regard Al Qaeda and NATO are irreconcilable enemies between whom no cooperation is possible. Instead, they reinforce the thesis which I have defended since the attacks of September 11, 2001, that Al Qaeda fighters are mercenaries of the service of the CIA [4].

Who is telling the truth?

For the past week, the Spanish royalist newspaper ABC has published a daily report by photographer Daniel Iriarte. This journalist is with the Free Syrian Army (FSA) in the north of the country, right on the Turkish border. Iriarte champions the cause of the "revolution" and can never find words harsh enough against "Al-Assad regime."

The Free Syrian Army is made up of more than 20 00 people, according to its political chief Colonel Riyadh al-Asaad, but of only a few hundred when listening to the Syrian authorities [5].

However, in the Saturday edition dated 17 December 2011, Daniel Iriarte describes an encounter that shocked him. While his FSA friends were taking him to a new hideout, he came across some foreign insurgents: three Libyans [6].

Mahdi al-Harati, commander of the Tripoli Brigade, resigned from his functions as deputy chief of the Military Council in Tripoli to oversee the Free Syrian Army.

The first one among them was al-Mahdi Hatari, a Libyan who lived in Ireland before joining Al Qaeda. At the end of the Libyan war, he was named commander of the Tripoli Brigade, then number 2 of the Tripoli Military Council headed by Abdel Hakim Belhaj. He resigned from this function, according to some because of a dispute with the Transitional National Council, according to others because he wanted to go back to Ireland to join his Irish wife [7] The truth is that he headed for Syria.

Even stranger: a member of Al Qaeda was among the pro-Palestinian activists, in June of last year, on board the Turkish ship Mavi Marmara. Numerous secret service agents, especially US, had infiltrated the "Freedom Flotilla" [8]. He was wounded and held prisoner for nine days in Israel.

Finally, during the Battle of Tripoli, al-Mahdi Harati commanded the Al Qaeda group that besieged and attacked the Rixos hotel, where I was staying with my Voltaire Network companions and the international press, and whose basement served as a shelter for the leaders of the Jamahiriya under the protection of the custody of Khamis Gaddafi [9]. According to the latter, Mahdi al-Harati was being briefed by the French officers on the ground.

The second Libyan that the Spanish photographer in the Syrian army is none other than Kikli Adem, a lieutenant of Abdel Hakim Belhaj. As for the third Libyan, nicknamed Fouad, Daniel Iriarte was not in a position to identify him.

Iriarte’s testimony dovetails with what the Arab anti-Syrian press has been claiming for weeks: the Free Syrian Army is overseen by at least 600 "volunteers" from Al Qaeda in Libya [10]. The entire operation is run by Abdel Hakim Belhaj in person with the help of the Erdogan government.

How can it be explained that a daily newspaper as anti-Assad as ABC has decided to publish the testimony of its special envoy, who sheds light on the nauseating methods employed by NATO and confirms the Syrian government’s thesis of armed destabilization? The fact is that for a week, certain advocates of the clash of civilizations have been riling against a set-up which includes Islamic extremists in a "free world" strategy.

Writing on CNBC Guest Blog [11], former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar revealed on 9 December 2011 that Abdel Hakim Belhaj was suspected of complicity in the attacks of 11 March 2004 in Madrid [12], an event that put an end to Aznar’s political career.

Mr. Aznar’s outing goes hand in hand with the intervention made by his friends from the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, the think tank headed by former Israeli ambassador to the UN Dore Gold [13]. They publicly voice their doubts about the validity of the current CIA strategy to place Islamists in power throughout North Africa. Their criticism is aimed against the secret society of the Muslim Brotherhood, but also against two Libyan figures: Abel Hakim Belhadj and his friend Sheikh Ali Al-Salibi. The latter is regarded as the new leader of Libya [14]. The two men are deemed to be the pawns of Qatar in the new Libya [15]. It was also Sheikh Salabi who distributed $ 2 billion of Qatari funds to help Al-Qaeda in Libya [16].

Thus the contradiction that was desperately kept hidden for the past decade returns to the surface: the mercenaries, formerly paid by Osama Bin Laden, have never stopped working in the service of US strategic interests since the first war in Afghanistan, including the period of the September 11 attacks. Yet they are portrayed ??by Western leaders as implacable enemies.

It is likely that the objections of Mr. Aznar and the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs will be overridden by NATO, as were those raised by AFRICOM commander General Carter Ham. At the beginning of the war Libya, he was incensed at having to protect jihadists who had gone to slaughter GIs in Iraq.

Britain plans to deepen its involvement in Somalia – a land that has become a byword for instability and violence – in the new year.

David Cameron describes Somalia as "a failed state that directly threatens British interests" and will convene a summit in London in February to bring together the countries currently active in the Horn of Africa state. A number of key decisions are expected to be made there, ranging from humanitarian aid to military missions.

The Prime Minister's decision to tackle the Somalia quagmire is seen by some as being fuelled by the success of the Libyan venture.

A second bombing in Damascus Killing twenty people is now added to the car bomb which killed forty people a week ago

No group has claimed responsibility and the protesters blame the government and the government blame Al Qaeda. Commentators on 'Russia Today TV [Ch 85] including Tariq Ali, suggest that both are the work of a 'foreign power' working through criminal gangs active in Syria.

Almost all Syrian attacks presently are targetting Assad's police and security forces - and done by well armed groups - likely frrom abroad -not at all like Egypt or Tunisia eh? This may well not be a 'suicide bombing' either - could be a drone/missile attack or any other high tech 'planted' weapon etc. God help the Syrians to win against this cowardly and evil onslaught.

WE DO NOT REPRESENT ANY POLITICAL MOVEMENT-THIRD PARTY LINKS DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT OUR VIEWS-WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR VISITORS' COMMENTS-CURSING IS FORBIDDEN-WE ARCHIVE OUR OWN POSTS IN THEIR RELATED PHOTO ALBUMS-OUTDATED LINKS GET DELETED

Michel Aoun ما بقى بدنا الجنرال
We went to the Russian People for help but it seems that Russians are not aware of our "petty" revolutions. The bloodiest is the one going on in Syria for a year now. The Syrian dictator Assad is using Putin's cover and arms to oppress peaceful demonstrators on daily basis, around 7000 Civilians are officially declared dead and hundreds of thousands incarcerated among which many are children. Please YouTube "Syria" and watch all the horrors inflicted so far.

Assad is presently prolonging his last days in power by somehow pressuring Putin to wave his Veto in the UN against a Peace resolution calling for Assad's removal from power. If Putin ever wins the elections without first washing his hands from the murders of Syrian children, by allowing the UN Peace resolution get implemented, his vanity for twisting world's will would exponentially amplify and might, God forbid, lead him to lust for Russian children blood as well. I hope dear friends you would then still be able to handle his 3rd consecutive term, on your own.

P.O.R

Quote:

Basic Information
About
WE DO NOT REPRESENT ANY POLITICAL MOVEMENT-THIRD PARTY LINKS DO NOT NECESSARILY REFLECT OUR VIEWS-WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR OUR VISITORS' COMMENTS-CURSING IS FORBIDDEN-WE ARCHIVE OUR OWN POSTS IN THEIR RELATED PHOTO ALBUMS-OUTDATED LINKS GET DELETED
Description
Power of Reason

-We are Law Abiding Lebanese Citizens
-We are Aiming for a Better Lebanon

-We believe in Human Dignity, the Values of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Universalism of International Law
-We Believe in the Supremacy of the Lebanese Constitution
-We Believe in a Unified Lebanon
-We Believe in a Strong Army Solely Protecting our Borders

-We Believe that our resistance transformed into a militia dividing our society in half, terrorizing many Lebanese and withholding our Democracy from normally functioning
-We Believe that General Michel Aoun empowered the Hezbollah militia against our State only for reinforcing his own personal agenda and is therefore requested to Resign from any Public Office and Withdraw from Political Activity
-We Believe that the best Defense Strategy Protecting Lebanon from the Israeli Enemy and/or any other Party Breaching our Sovereignty would be by Enhancing the capabilities of our Army, by integrating the illegal arms belonging to our former resistance and any other militia, including the entirety of Palestinian arms on Lebanese soil, into the arsenal and command of our National Army
-We Believe that the Liberation of any remaining Lebanese lands under the occupation of the Israeli Enemy must be exclusively decided and initiated by the Lebanese Government and executed by its Institutions

-We Believe in a Strong State enforcing Rule of Law over the whole of Lebanon including the Palestinian Camps
-We Believe in considerably ameliorating the Humanitarian conditions of Palestinian Refugees awaiting a full solution of the Arab-Israeli conflict while Constitutionally establishing an Irrevocable National Pact preventing their Nationalization due to Lebanon's delicate Societal Mix

-We Believe in reforming our Official Institutions and enjoying a Free Competitive Market Economy
-We Believe in Coexistence and Full Religious Freedoms
-We Believe in Full Equality between Women and Men
-We Believe in The Need for an Optional Unified Personal Affairs Law
-We Believe in The right of Lebanese abroad to Vote
-We Believe in considering the establishment of a Secular State only after a full National Consent

-We are not a Political Movement nor do we answer to any Political Leader
-We are not seeking a Political Carrier nor any Official Position

I don't know if this has been up before, but it is very important.
A 4* General, Wesley Clark (retired), ex-Supreme Allied Commander Europe, gave interviews in 2006 and 2007 in which he told how, shortly after 9/11, a 3* General on the Joint Chiefs of Staff, whom he knew, told him the US was planning to overturn 7 Governments in 5 years (OK, so it is taking a bit longer): Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Iran:

2007 Democracy Now interview:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXS3vW47mOE_________________'And he (the devil) said to him: To thee will I give all this power, and the glory of them; for to me they are delivered, and to whom I will, I give them'. Luke IV 5-7.

24 October 2011 Last updated at 13:05
US ambassador Robert Ford pulled out of Syria

The US has pulled out its ambassador to Syria, Robert Ford, because of concerns for his safety, officials say.

Mr Ford angered Syrian authorities by showing solidarity with activists involved in an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's rule.

A US spokesman said Mr Ford had left Damascus at the weekend after "credible threats against his personal safety".

Last month, Mr Ford and colleagues were pelted with eggs and tomatoes when visiting an opposition figure.

He was then briefly trapped in his office by pro-Assad demonstrators.

An official at the US embassy in Damascus told the Associated Press Mr Ford had not been formally recalled.

Mark Toner, a spokesman for the US state department, said Mr Ford's return to Syria would depend on an "assessment of Syrian regime-led incitement and the security situation on the ground".

Mr Ford, an Arabic-speaker who has served in several Arab countries, has expressed solidarity with protesters as well as denouncing Syria's crackdown on its opponents.

In July the ambassador visited the restive city of Hama in July along with his French counterpart, where he met demonstrators.

Last month he was among a group of mainly Western diplomats who paid condolences to the family of a human rights activist allegedly killed under torture.

Protests against President Assad's rule began in March in southern Syria and gradually spread across the country.

According to the UN, more than 3,000 people - mostly unarmed demonstrators - have been killed since then.

Mr Ford arrived in Damascus in January as the first US ambassador to Syria for more than five years.

Robert Ford was Negronte's No.2 when Negroponte (Dirty War professional from his time as US Ambassador to Honduras during the Contra war against Nicaragua) was Ambassador to Iraq._________________'And he (the devil) said to him: To thee will I give all this power, and the glory of them; for to me they are delivered, and to whom I will, I give them'. Luke IV 5-7.

Gulf states and Turkey hold meeting in Istanbul to continue conspiring against Syria

SANA, 29 January 2012

Days after intelligence reports revealed that intelligence crews from some Gulf states, Turkey, the US, France and Israel have been supervising camps for gathering, recruiting and training mercenaries and terrorists inside the Turkish territories, Turkey and Gulf states on Saturday held a meeting in Istanbul to discuss activities of their terrorist groups operating in Syria.

The first results of this Gulf-Turkish meeting came with announcing a new escalatory step against Syria represented in the decision of the Arab League (AL) Secretary General Nabil al-Arabi to suspend the monitoring mission in Syria, ignoring the AL Council's decision last week to extend the mission for another month.

The decision to suspend the monitoring mission came to confirm that Arab countries, on top being the Gulf states, are continuing their support to the acts of the armed terrorist groups in Syria.

Today's Istanbul meeting came as a new episode in the series of conspiring between the Gulf states and the Turkish government against Syria, which was proved through the simultaneous imposition of sanctions allegedly aimed against the Syrian government, while experts and analysts as well as a number of Arabs and Turks consider that the bad impacts of these sanctions affect the Syrian people and also reach the people of Arab countries and Turkey.

Observers see that the Gulf-Turkish conspiring against Syria appeared evident through the attendance of senior Turkish diplomat at the Arab Foreign Ministers Council meetings at which all decisions against Syria were made.

These decisions started with freezing Syria's membership at the Arab League and continued through working to internationalize the Syrian crisis in implementation of foreign agendas exposed by the statements of the U.S. diplomat Jennifer Rasamimanana who described the League's decisions as having positive impact on the U.S. efforts to take the Syrian crisis file to the UN Security Council and pressure Russia to change its stance.

Information and data indicate that Istanbul meeting held today came to discuss the ways to continue the exposed Gulf-Turkish conspiring against Syria after Russia stressed its objection at the Security Council to the Arab Ministerial Council's plan led by Qatar and Saudi Arabia and ordered by the US and Israel.

Two days ago, the Israeli War Minister Ehud Barak stated that the Arab League's latest decisions against Syria are consistent with the Israeli vision and that the League and the Arab leaders are working in line with the Israeli approach against Syria.

Analysts and observers place Istanbul meeting in the framework of a new campaign to pressure Syria led by Gulf and foreign countries and Turkey that are now distributing roles among themselves after the doors were closed before them from inside by the Syrian people and were beleaguered by the Russian stance at the Security Council.

.

Last edited by cem on Sat Feb 11, 2012 10:22 pm; edited 1 time in total

Uploaded by RussiaToday on 6 Feb 2012
The European Union is preparing a new batch of sanctions against Syria, which the French foreign minister says will be the harshest yet. It comes after an EU-backed resolution that could have paved the way for military intervention, was struck down at the UN. We're also getting disturbing footage from the rebel stronghold city of Homs, which opposition sources say is being shelled by the Syrian army. There are reports of casualties - although this can't yet be verified. Earlier, opposition fighters operating out of Homs attacked a number of police patrols and army bases. Elsewhere in the country, security forces say they've cleared all but two rebel outposts near the capital, seizing vast caches of arms and explosives along the way. Our report from Sarah Firth, contains some images you may find disturbing.

We bring to the attention of our readers the Observers' Mission Report of the League of Arab States to Syria.

The report acknowledges the existence of "an armed entity" involved in the killings of civilians and police as well as the conduct of terrorist acts, which in turn have contributed to triggering actions by government forces.

The Report refers to "armed opposition groups" as well as to the "Free Syrian Army", both of which, according to the AL Mission, are involved in the deliberate killing of innocent civilians:

"In some zones, this armed entity reacted by attacking Syrian security forces and citizens, causing the Government to respond with further violence. In the end, innocent citizens pay the price for those actions with life and limb.

"In Homs, Idlib and Hama, the Observer Mission witnessed acts of violence being committed against Government forces and civilians that resulted in several deaths and injuries. Examples of those acts include the bombing of a civilian bus, killing eight persons and injuring others, including women and children, and the bombing of a train carrying diesel oil. In another incident in Homs, a police bus was blown up, killing two police officers. A fuel pipeline and some small bridges were also bombed. "

"Such incidents include the bombing of buildings, trains carrying fuel, vehicles carrying diesel oil and explosions targeting the police, members of the media and fuel pipelines. Some of those attacks have been carried out by the Free Syrian Army and some by other armed opposition groups."

The Mission also underscored to role of media distortion in the coverage of events in Syria as well as the campaign to discredit ithe Mission's findings:

"The Mission noted that many parties falsely reported that explosions or violence had occurred in several locations. When the observers went to those locations, they found that those reports were unfounded.

The Mission also noted that, according to its teams in the field, the media exaggerated the nature of the incidents and the number of persons killed in incidents and protests in certain towns."

The Report also underscored attempts to discredit the Mission and dismiss its findings:

Arab and foreign audiences of certain media organizations have questioned the Mission’s credibility because those organizations use the media to distort the facts. It will be difficult to overcome this problem unless there is political and media support for the Mission and its mandate. It is only natural that some negative incidents should occur as it conducts its activities because such incidents occur as a matter of course in similar missions.

Also of significace were attempts by officials of AL governments to pressure several of the observers into providing "exaggerated accounts of events".

Some observers reneged on their duties and broke the oath they had taken. They made contact with officials from their countries and gave them exaggerated accounts of events. Those officials consequently developed a bleak and unfounded picture of the situation.

Also of significance is the fact that the Mission acknowledged that peaceful protests by unarmed civilians against the government were not the object of government crackdowns:

group team leaders [of the Observation mission] witnessed peaceful demonstrations by both Government supporters and the opposition in several places. None of those demonstrations were disrupted, except for some minor clashes with the Mission and between loyalists and opposition. These have not resulted in fatalities since the last presentation before the Arab Ministerial Committee on the Situation in Syria at its meeting of 8 January 2012.

While the Mission does not identify the foreign powers behind "the armed entity", the report dispels the mainstream media lies and fabrications. It largely confirms independent media reports including Global Research's coverage of the armed insurrection since April 2011. See Global Research's Syria Dossier

Michel Chossudovsky, Global Research, February 1, 2012

SELECTED EXCERPTS OF OBSERVERS' MISSION REPORT

Report of the Head of the League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria. December 24, 2011 to January 18, 2012

Relevant Excerpts of the Report are indicated below: bold added, Scroll down for Complete Text of Observers' Mission Report):

The complete leaked report of the Arab League Observers Mission with annexes (pdf)

"The Mission determined that there is an armed entity that is not mentioned in the protocol. This development on the ground can undoubtedly be attributed to the excessive use of force by Syrian Government forces in response to protests that occurred before the deployment of the Mission demanding the fall of the regime. In some zones, this armed entity reacted by attacking Syrian security forces and citizens, causing the Government to respond with further violence. In the end, innocent citizens pay the price for those actions with life and limb.
...

In Homs, Idlib and Hama, the Observer Mission witnessed acts of violence being committed against Government forces and civilians that resulted in several deaths and injuries. Examples of those acts include the bombing of a civilian bus, killing eight persons and injuring others, including women and children, and the bombing of a train carrying diesel oil. In another incident in Homs, a police bus was blown up, killing two police officers. A fuel pipeline and some small bridges were also bombed.

...

28. The Mission noted that many parties falsely reported that explosions or violence had occurred in several locations. When the observers went to those locations, they found that those reports were unfounded.

29. The Mission also noted that, according to its teams in the field, the media exaggerated the nature of the incidents and the number of persons killed in incidents and protests in certain towns.

According to their latest reports and their briefings to the Head of the Mission on 17 January 2012 in preparation for this report, group team leaders witnessed peaceful demonstrations by both Government supporters and the opposition in several places. None of those demonstrations were disrupted, except for some minor clashes with the Mission and between loyalists and opposition. These have not resulted in fatalities since the last presentation before the Arab Ministerial Committee on the Situation in Syria at its meeting of 8 January 2012.
...

Some observers reneged on their duties and broke the oath they had taken. They made contact with officials from their countries and gave them exaggerated accounts of events. Those officials consequently developed a bleak and unfounded picture of the situation.

Arab and foreign audiences of certain media organizations have questioned the Mission’s credibility because those organizations use the media to distort the facts. It will be difficult to overcome this problem unless there is political and media support for the Mission and its mandate. It is only natural that some negative incidents should occur as it conducts its activities because such incidents occur as a matter of course in similar missions.

...

75. Recently, there have been incidents that could widen the gap and increase bitterness between the parties. These incidents can have grave consequences and lead to the loss of life and property. Such incidents include the bombing of buildings, trains carrying fuel, vehicles carrying diesel oil and explosions targeting the police, members of the media and fuel pipelines. Some of those attacks have been carried out by the Free Syrian Army and some by other armed opposition groups.

...

Since its establishment, attitudes towards the Mission have been characterized by insincerity or, more broadly speaking, a lack of seriousness. Before it began carrying out its mandate and even before its members had arrived, the Mission was the target of a vicious campaign directed against the League of Arab States and the Head of the Mission, a campaign that increased in intensity after the observers’ deployment. The Mission still lack the political and media support it needs in order to fulfil its mandate. Should its mandate be extended, the goals set out in the Protocol will not be achieved unless such support is provided and the Mission receives the backing it needs to ensure the success of the Arab solution."

COMPLETE TEXT (WITHOUT ANNEXES)

Report of the Head of the League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria. December 24, 2011 to January 18, 2012

[relevant sections of this report have bewen highlighted in bold]

Report of the Head of the League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria for the period from 24
December 2011 to 18 January 2012

The complete leaked report of the Arab League Observers Mission with annexes (pdf)

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate

“We offered the trust to the heavens and the earth and the mountains, but they refused to carry it, and were
afraid of it; and man carried it. Surely he is sinful, very foolish” [Qur’an 33:72]

I . Legal bases

1. By resolution 7436 of 2 November 2011, the Council of the League of Arab States adopted the Arab
plan of action annexed thereto, welcomed the Syrian Government’s agreement to the plan, and emphasized the
need for the Syrian Government to commit to the full and immediate implementation of its provisions.

2. On 16 November 2011, the Council of the League of Arab States adopted resolution 7439 approving
the draft protocol of the Legal Centre and the mandate of the League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria,
namely to verify implementation of the provisions of the Arab plan of action to resolve the Syrian crisis and
protect Syrian civilians. The resolution requested the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States to take
such steps as he deemed appropriate to appoint the Head of the League of Arab States Observer Mission and to
make contact with the Syrian Government with a view to signing the Protocol.

3. By resolution 7441 of 24 November 2011, the Council of the League of Arab States requested the
Secretary-General of the League to deploy the Observer Mission to the Syrian Arab Republic in order to fulfil
its mandate under the protocol immediately on its signature.

4. The Syrian Arab Republic and the General Secretariat of the League of Arab States signed the protocol
on 19 December 2011. The protocol provided for the establishment and deployment to the Syrian Arab
Republic of a Mission comprising civilian and military experts from Arab countries and Arab nongovernmental
human rights organizations. Paragraph 5 stated that the Mission should transmit regular reports
on the results of its work to the Secretary-General of the League of Arab State and the Syrian Government for
submission — via the Arab Ministerial Committee on the Situation in Syria — to the Council of the League at
the ministerial level for its consideration and appropriate action.

5. On 20 December 2011, the Council of the League approved the appointment of General Muhammad
Ahmad Mustafa Al-Dabi from the Republic of the Sudan as Head of the Observer Mission.

II. Formation of the Mission

6. The General Secretariat requested Member States and relevant Arab organizations to transmit the
names of its candidates for the Mission. On that basis, 166 monitors from 13 Arab countries and six relevant
Arab organizations have thus far been appointed.

III. Visit of the advance delegation of the General Secretariat to Syria

7. In preparation for the Mission, an advance delegation of the General Secretariat visited the Syrian
Arab Republic on 22 December 2011 to discuss the logistical preparations for the Mission.

8. In accordance with the protocol, the Syrian Government confirmed its readiness to facilitate the
Mission in every way by allowing the free and safe movement of all of the observers throughout Syria, and by
refraining from hindering the work of the Mission on security or administrative grounds. The Syrian
Government side also affirmed its commitment to ensuring that the Mission could freely conduct the necessary
meetings; to provide full protection for the observers, taking into consideration the responsibility of the
Mission if it were to insist on visiting areas despite the warning of the security services; and to allow the entry
to Syria of journalists and Arab and international media in accordance with the rules and regulations in force in
the country.

IV. Arrival and preliminary visits of the Head of Mission

9. The Head of the Mission, General Muhammad Ahmad Mustafa Al-Dabi, arrived in the Syrian Arab
Republic on the evening of Saturday 24 December 2011. He held a series of meetings with the Minister for
Foreign Affairs, Mr. Walid Al-Moualem, and with Syrian Government officials, who stated that they stood
prepared to cooperate fully with the Mission and to endeavour to ensure its success, overcoming any obstacles
that may arise. The necessary logistical and security arrangements were agreed.

10. The Syrian side stated that there were certain areas that the security protection detail would not be able
to enter with the observers for fear of the citizens’ reaction. The Head of the Mission replied that that situation
would enable the Mission to engage with citizens and opposition parties without government monitoring,
thereby removing the citizens’ fear of repercussions as a result of communicating with the Mission.

11. The Head of the Mission completed the technical field preparations and secured the necessary
transportation and communication devices in order to start work. He met with the observers who arrived
successively in Syria and briefed them on their duties and the bases of their work under the protocol. The
observers took a special oath for the Mission which had been drafted by the Head.

12. On 27 December 2011, the Head of the Mission and ten observers conducted a preliminary visit to the
city of Homs, one of the epicentres of tension, which has seen acts of violence and armed confrontation
between the Army and the Syrian opposition. Some security barriers separating districts remain in place.

13. Immediately on arriving in Homs, the Head of the Mission met with the Governor of the city, who
explained that there had been an escalation in violence perpetrated by armed groups in the city. There had been
instances of kidnapping and sabotage of Government and civilian facilities. Food was in short supply owing to
the blockade imposed by armed groups, which were believed to include some 3000 individuals. The Governor
further stated that all attempts by religious figures and city notables to calm the situation had failed. He made
enquiries regarding the possibility of addressing the issue of soldiers and vehicles blocked inside Baba Amr.

14. The Mission visited the residential districts of Baba Amr, Karam Al-Zaytun, Al-Khalidiyya and Al-
Ghuta without guards. It met with a number of opposition citizens who described the state of fear, blockade
and acts of violence to which they had been subjected by Government forces. At a time of intense exchanges of
gunfire among the sides, the Mission witnessed the effects of the destruction wrought on outlying districts. The
Mission witnessed an intense exchange of gunfire between the Army and opposition in Baba Amr. It saw four
military vehicles in surrounding areas, and therefore had to return to the Governorate headquarters. It was
agreed with the Governor that five members of the Mission would remain in Homs until the following day to
conduct field work and meet with the greatest possible number of citizens.

15. Immediately on returning from Homs, the Head of the Mission met with the Government and insisted
that it withdraw military vehicles from the city, put an end to acts of violence, protect civilians, lift the
blockade and provide food. He further called for the two sides to exchange the bodies of those killed.

16. At that meeting, the Syrian side agreed to withdraw all military presence from the city and residential
areas except for three army vehicles that were not working and had been surrounded, and one that had been
taken from the Army by armed groups. The Syrian side requested the Mission’s assistance to recover and
remove those vehicles in exchange for the release of four individuals, the exchange of five bodies from each
side, the entry of basic foods for families in the city, and the entry of sanitation vehicles to remove garbage. It
was agreed at the end of the meeting that the Mission would conduct another visit to Homs on the following
day in the company of General Hassan Sharif, the security coordinator for the Government side.

17. During that visit, the Mission was introduced to one of the leading figures in the opposition, who acted
as media representative of the National Council. An extensive discussion took place regarding the offer of the
Syrian Government and the best way to implement the agreement. As a result, the military vehicles were
returned and removed; the bodies of those killed were exchanged; trucks entered the city with food; and three
detainees and two women were released and returned to their families in the presence of the Mission, thereby
calming the situation inside the city.

18. Five days after the monitors were deployed to five zones, the Ministerial Committee requested that the
Head of the Mission report on the Mission’s work. He travelled to Cairo and gave an oral presentation to the
members of the Committee at their meeting of 8 January 2012. It was decided that the work of the Mission
should continue and that the Head of the Mission should submit a report at the end of the period determined in
the protocol, on 19 January 2012. After the Head's return to Damascus to resume his duties, the Mission faced
difficulties from Government loyalists and opposition alike, particularly as a result of statements and media
coverage in the wake of the Committee meeting. That did not, however, affect the work of the Mission or its
full and smooth deployment across the country.

19. Following its arrival, and to this date, the Mission has received numerous letters from the Syrian
committee responsible for coordination with the Mission. The letters refer to the material and human losses
sustained by Government institutions and offices as a result of what is described as sabotage. They assert that
all of the States’ vital services have been affected.

V. Deployment of the Observer Mission to Syria

20. The observers were divided into 15 zones covering 20 cities and districts across Syria according to the
time frame set out below. The variation in dates was a result of shortcomings in administrative and technical
preparations, such as the arrival of cars and personnel. Care was taken to ensure even distribution of observers.
Each unit comprised some ten observers of different Arab nationalities. The groups were deployed to Syrian
governorates and towns as follows:

• On 29 December 2011, six groups travelled to Damascus, Homs, Rif Homs, Idlib, Deraa and Hama.
• On 4 January 2012, a group travelled to Aleppo.
• On 9 January 2012, two groups went to Deir Al-Zor and Latakia. However, both returned to Damascus on
10 January 2012 owing to attacks that led to the injury of two of the monitors in Latakia and material
damage to the cars.
• On 10 January 2012, a group travelled to Qamishli and Hasaka.
• On 12 January 2012, a group travelled to Outer Damascus.
• On 13 January 2012, four groups travelled to Suwaida, Bu Kamal, Deir Al-Zor, Palmyra (Tadmur),
Sukhna, Banyas and Tartous.
• On 15 January 2012, two groups travelled to Latakia, Raqqa and Madinat Al-Thawra.
Annex 1. List of observers, their nationalities and their distribution.
21. The observers were provided with the following:
• A map of the region;
• A code of conduct for observers;
• The duties of the group leaders;
• The duties of the observers;
• Necessary equipment such as computers, cameras and communication devices.

22. An operations room was established at the offices of the League of Arab States in Damascus. The
office is open 24 hours a day and is directly linked to the League of Arab States operations room in Cairo and
to the groups deployed across Syria. The room receives daily reports from the field teams and conveys special
instructions for monitoring. Owing to the volume of work, an additional operations room was opened at the
Mission headquarters in Damascus with the task of allocating individuals and assigning committees on followup,
detainees, the media and financial affairs. It coordinates with the main operations room at the offices of the
League of Arab States.

23. In Latakia and Deir Al-Zor, the Mission faced difficulties from Government loyalists. In Latakia,
thousands surrounded the Mission’s cars, chanting slogans in favour of the President and against the Mission.
The situation became out of control and monitors were attacked. Two sustained light injuries and an armoured
car was completely crushed. In order to address the matter, the Head of Mission contacted the Syrian
committee responsible for coordination with the Mission. Nevertheless, the Head of the Mission ordered the
immediate return of the two groups to Damascus. He met the Minister for Foreign Affairs and made a stronglyworded
formal protest. The Syrian side strongly condemned the incident and extended a formal apology,
explaining that the events were not in any sense deliberate. In order to emphasize the point, the Syrian Deputy
Minister for Foreign Affairs met with the members of the Latakia team and stated that the Syrian Government
would address the shortcoming immediately and guarantee the safety and security of observers everywhere. He
apologized to them for the unfortunate and unintentional incidents. The members were then assigned to new
zones after four days’ rest.

VI. Implementation of the Mission’s mandate under the protocol

24. The Head of the Mission stresses that this assessment in terms of the provisions of the protocol
summarizes the findings of the groups as relayed by group leaders at their meeting with the Head of the
Mission on 17 January 2012.

A. Monitoring and observation of the cessation of all violence by all sides in cities and residential
areas

25. On being assigned to their zones and starting work, the observers witnessed acts of violence
perpetrated by Government forces and an exchange of gunfire with armed elements in Homs and Hama. As a
result of the Mission’s insistence on a complete end to violence and the withdrawal of Army vehicles and
equipment, this problem has receded. The most recent reports of the Mission point to a considerable calming of
the situation and restraint on the part of those forces.

26. In Homs and Dera‘a, the Mission observed armed groups committing acts of violence against
Government forces, resulting in death and injury among their ranks. In certain situations, Government forces
responded to attacks against their personnel with force. The observers noted that some of the armed groups
were using flares and armour-piercing projectiles.

27. In Homs, Idlib and Hama, the Observer Mission witnessed acts of violence being committed against
Government forces and civilians that resulted in several deaths and injuries. Examples of those acts include the
bombing of a civilian bus, killing eight persons and injuring others, including women and children, and the
bombing of a train carrying diesel oil. In another incident in Homs, a police bus was blown up, killing two
police officers. A fuel pipeline and some small bridges were also bombed.

28. The Mission noted that many parties falsely reported that explosions or violence had occurred in
several locations. When the observers went to those locations, they found that those reports were unfounded.

29. The Mission also noted that, according to its teams in the field, the media exaggerated the nature of the
incidents and the number of persons killed in incidents and protests in certain towns.

30. According to their latest reports and their briefings to the Head of the Mission on 17 January 2012 in
preparation for this report, group team leaders witnessed peaceful demonstrations by both Government
supporters and the opposition in several places. None of those demonstrations were disrupted, except for some
minor clashes with the Mission and between loyalists and opposition. These have not resulted in fatalities since
the last presentation before the Arab Ministerial Committee on the Situation in Syria at its meeting of 8
January 2012.

31. The reports and briefings of groups leaders state that citizens belonging to the opposition surround the
Mission on its arrival and use the gathering as a barrier from the security services. However, such incidents
have gradually decreased.

32. The Mission has received requests from opposition supporters in Homs and Deraa that it should stay
on-site and not leave, something that may be attributable to fear of attack after the Mission’s departure.
C. Verifying the release of those detained in the current incidents

33. The Mission received reports from parties outside Syria indicating that the number of detainees was
16,237. It also received information from the opposition inside the country that the number of detainees was
12,005. In validating those figures, the teams in the field discovered that there were discrepancies between the
lists, that information was missing and inaccurate, and that names were repeated. The Mission is
communicating with the concerned Government agencies to confirm those numbers.

34. The Mission has delivered to the Syrian Government all of the lists received from the Syrian
opposition inside and outside Syria. In accordance with the protocol, it has demanded the release of the
detainees.

35. On 15 January 2012, President Bashar Al-Assad issued a legislative decree granting a general amnesty
for crimes perpetrated in the context of the events from 15 March 2011 through to the issuance of the decree.
In implementation of the amnesty, the relevant Government authorities have been periodically releasing
detainees in the various regions so long as they are not wanted in connection with other crimes. The Mission
has been supervising the releases and is monitoring the process with the Government’s full and active
coordination.

36. On 19 January 2012, the Syrian government stated that 3569 detainees had been released from military
and civil prosecution services. The Mission verified that 1669 of those detained had thus far been released. It
continues to follow up the issue with the Government and the opposition, emphasizing to the Government side
that the detainees should be released in the presence of observers so that the event can be documented.

37. The Mission has validated the following figures for the total number of detainees that the Syrian
government thus far claims to have released:
• Before the amnesty: 4,035
• After the amnesty: 3,569.
The Government has therefore claimed that a total of 7,604 detainees have been released.

38. The Mission has verified the correct number of detainees released and arrived at the following figures:
• Before the amnesty: 3,483
• After the amnesty: 1,669
The total number of confirmed releases is therefore 5152. The Mission is continuing to monitor the
process and communicate with the Syrian Government for the release of the remaining detainees.

D. Confirming the withdrawal of the military presence from residential neighbourhoods in which
demonstrations and protests occurred or are occurring

39. Based on the reports of the field-team leaders and the meeting held on 17 January 2012 with all team
leaders, the Mission confirmed that all military vehicles, tanks and heavy weapons had been withdrawn from
cities and residential neighbourhoods. Although there are still some security measures in place in the form of
earthen berms and barriers in front of important buildings and in squares, they do not affect citizens. It should
be noted that the Syrian Minister of Defence, in a meeting with the Head of the Mission that took place on 5
January 2012, affirmed his readiness to accompany the Head of the Mission to all sites and cities designated by
the latter and from which the Mission suspects that the military presence had not yet been withdrawn, with a
view to issuing field orders and rectifying any violation immediately.

40. Armoured vehicles (personnel carriers) are present at some barriers. One of those barriers is located in
Homs and some others in Madaya, Zabadani and Rif Damascus. The presence of those vehicles was reported
and they were subsequently withdrawn from Homs. It has been confirmed that the residents of Zabadani and
Madaya reached a bilateral agreement with the Government that led to the removal of those barriers and
vehicles.

E. Confirming the accreditation by the Syrian Government of Arab and international media
organizations and that those organizations are allowed to move freely in all parts of Syria

41. Speaking on behalf of his Government, the Syrian Minister of Information confirmed that, from the
beginning of December 2011 to 15 January 2012, the Government had accredited 147 Arab and foreign media
organizations. Some 112 of those organizations entered Syrian territory, joining the 90 other accredited
organizations operating in Syria through their full-time correspondents.

42. The Mission followed up on this issue. It identified 36 Arab and foreign media organizations and
several journalists located in a number of Syrian cities. It also received complaints that the Syrian Government
had granted some media organizations authorization to operate for four days only, which was insufficient time,
according to those organizations. In addition to preventing them from entering the country until they had
specified their destinations, journalists were required obtain further authorization once they had entered the
country and were prevented from going to certain areas. The Syrian Government confirmed that it grants media
organizations operating permits that are valid for 10 days, with the possibility of renewal.

43. Reports and information from some sectors [teams] indicate that the Government places restrictions on
the movement of media organizations in opposition areas. In many cases, those restrictions caused journalists
to trail the Mission in order to do their work.

44. In Homs, a French journalist who worked for the France 2 channel was killed and a Belgian journalist
was injured. The Government and opposition accused each other of being responsible for the incident, and both
sides issued statements of condemnation. The Government formed an investigative committee in order to
determine the cause of the incident. It should be noted that Mission reports from Homs indicate that the French
journalist was killed by opposition mortar shells.

Annex 2. A list of media organizations identified and a list of media organizations that entered Syria, according
to the official information.

VII. Obstacles encountered by the Mission

A. Monitors

45. Some of the experts nominated were not capable of taking on such a responsibility and did not have
prior experience in this field.

46. Some of the observers did not grasp the amount of responsibility that was being placed on them and
the importance of giving priority to Arab interests over personal interests.

47. In the course of field work, some observers were unable to deal with difficult circumstances, which are
at the core of their duties. Monitors must have certain traits and the specializations required for such work.

48. A number of the observers are elderly, and some of them suffer from health conditions that prevent
them from performing their duties.

49. Twenty-two observers declined to complete the mission for personal reasons. Some observers offered
unfounded reasons, which were not accepted by the Head of the Mission, while others had a personal agenda.
Annex 3. List of the names of observers who declined to complete the Mission.

50. Some observers reneged on their duties and broke the oath they had taken. They made contact with
officials from their countries and gave them exaggerated accounts of events. Those officials consequently
developed a bleak and unfounded picture of the situation.

51. Some of the observers in the various zones are demanding housing similar to their counterparts in
Damascus or financial reimbursement equivalent to the difference in accommodation rates resulting from the
difference in hotel standards or accommodation in Damascus. These issues do not warrant comment.

52. Some observers are afraid to perform their duties owing to the violent incidents that have occurred in
certain locations. The unavailability of armoured cars at all the sites and the lack of bulletproof vests have
negatively affected some observers’ ability to carry out their duties.

Comments of the Head of the Mission concerning the observers

53. Some of the observers, unfortunately, believed that their journey to Syria was for amusement, and
were therefore surprised by the reality of the situation. They did not expect to be assigned to teams or to have
to remain at stations outside the capital or to face the difficulties that they encountered.

54. Some of the observers were not familiar with the region and its geography. The unavailability of
armoured vehicles and protective vests had a negative effect on the spirits of some observers.

55. Some of the observers experienced hostility both from the Syrian opposition and loyalists. This
hostility also had a negative effect on their spirits.

56. Despite the foregoing comments, the performance of many of the observers was outstanding and
praiseworthy. Those who underperformed will improve with experience and guidance.

B. Security restrictions

57. Although it welcomed the Mission and its Head and repeatedly emphasized that it would not impose
any security restrictions that could obstruct the movement of the Mission, the Government deliberately
attempted to limit the observers’ ability to travel extensively in various regions. The Government also
attempted to focus the attention of the Mission on issues in which it is interested. The Mission resisted those
attempts and responded to them in a manner that allowed it to fulfil its mandate and overcome the obstacles
that stood in the way of its work.

C. Communication equipment

58. The Mission communicates with the various groups by mobile phones and facsimile machines
connected to the local Syrian telephone network. Occasional cuts in service prevent the Mission from
communicating with the groups.

59. The Mission was equipped with 10 Thuraya satellite phones. Such devices are hard to use inside
buildings owing of the difficulty in obtain a satellite signal. As a result, ordinary phones and fax machines,
which are not considered secure communications equipment, were used to send daily reports, instead.

60. The communication equipment the Qatari observers brought with them was held at the Jordanian
border, despite demands made by the Head of the Mission to the Syrian authorities to permit entry of that
equipment. That notwithstanding, the amount of equipment would not have been enough to meet the needs of
all sites and station.

61. The Mission does not have portable two-way radios for communication between team members. The
Chinese Embassy provided 10 such radios as a gift to the Mission. They were used in three sectors only.

62. Internet service is unavailable in some regions, and in other areas it is intermittent, including in the
capital.

63. There are no cameras attached to the vehicles used by the Mission, which would facilitate observers’
work in dangerous areas.

D. Transportation

64. The Mission has 38 cars at its disposal (23 armoured and 15 non-armoured), including 28 four-wheel
drive vehicles and 10 sedans. It should be noted that the Mission’s mandate requires the used of armoured fourwheel
drive vehicles, given the nature of the Mission. The number of such vehicles currently available does not
satisfy the needs of the Mission, particularly for transportation into trouble spots.

65. When it was first deployed, the Mission rented several cars from local sources for use in monitoring
operations. However, owing to some acts of violence directed against the field teams, the rental companies
recalled those vehicles and their drivers out of fear for their safety.

66. The Mission encountered difficulties in hiring drivers because the opposition groups refused to allowf
local drivers to enter their areas because they believed the drivers were members of the security services,
which forces the observers to drive the vehicles themselves.

67. Some of the observers demanded to use vehicles sent by their countries, a demand that was denied by
the Head of the Mission, who allocated the vehicles according to the needs of each zone.

Annex 4. List showing the number, types and distribution of vehicles and the countries that provided them.
E. The media

68. Since it began its work, the Mission has been the target of a vicious media campaign. Some media
outlets have published unfounded statements, which they attributed to the Head of the Mission. They have also
grossly exaggerated events, thereby distorting the truth.

69. Such contrived reports have helped to increase tensions among the Syrian people and undermined the
observers’ work. Some media organizations were exploited in order to defame the Mission and its Head and
cause the Mission to fail.

70. The purpose of the Protocol is to protect Syrian citizens through the commitment of the Syrian
Government to stop acts of violence, release detainees and withdraw all military presence from cities and
residential neighbourhoods. This phase must lead to dialogue among the Syrian sides and the launching of a
parallel political process. Otherwise, the duration of this Mission will be extended without achieving the
desired results on the ground.

71. The Mission determined that there is an armed entity that is not mentioned in the protocol. This
development on the ground can undoubtedly be attributed to the excessive use of force by Syrian Government
forces in response to protests that occurred before the deployment of the Mission demanding the fall of the
regime. In some zones, this armed entity reacted by attacking Syrian security forces and citizens, causing the
Government to respond with further violence. In the end, innocent citizens pay the price for those actions with
life and limb.

72. The Mission noted that the opposition had welcomed it and its members since their deployment to
Syria. The citizens were reassured by the Mission’s presence and came forward to present their demands,
although the opposition had previously been afraid to do so publicly owing to their fear of being arrested once
again, as they had been prior to the Mission’s arrival in Syria. However, this was not case in the period that
followed the last Ministerial Committee statement, although the situation is gradually improving.

73. The Mission noted that the Government strived to help it succeed in its task and remove any barriers
that might stand in its way. The Government also facilitated meetings with all parties. No restrictions were
placed on the movement of the Mission and its ability to interview Syrian citizens, both those who opposed the
Government and those loyal to it.

74. In some cities, the Mission sensed the extreme tension, oppression and injustice from which the Syrian
people are suffering. However, the citizens believe the crisis should be resolved peacefully through Arab
mediation alone, without international intervention. Doing so would allow them to live in peace and complete
the reform process and bring about the change they desire. The Mission was informed by the opposition,
particularly in Dar‘a, Homs, Hama and Idlib, that some of its members had taken up arms in response to the
suffering of the Syrian people as a result of the regime’s oppression and tyranny; corruption, which affects all
sectors of society; the use of torture by the security agencies; and human rights violations.

75. Recently, there have been incidents that could widen the gap and increase bitterness between the
parties. These incidents can have grave consequences and lead to the loss of life and property. Such incidents
include the bombing of buildings, trains carrying fuel, vehicles carrying diesel oil and explosions targeting the
police, members of the media and fuel pipelines. Some of those attacks have been carried out by the Free
Syrian Army and some by other armed opposition groups.

76. The Mission has adhered scrupulously to its mandate, as set out in the Protocol. It has observed daily
realities on the ground with complete neutrality and independence, thereby ensuring transparency and integrity
in its monitoring of the situation, despite the difficulties the Mission encountered and the inappropriate actions
of some individuals.

77. Under the Protocol, the Mission’s mandate is one month. This does not allow adequate time for
administrative preparations, let alone for the Mission to carry out its task. To date, the Mission has actually
operated for 23 days. This amount of time is definitely not sufficient, particularly in view of the number of
items the Mission must investigate. The Mission needs to remain on the ground for a longer period of time,
which would allow it to experience citizens’ daily living conditions and monitor all events. It should be noted
that similar previous operations lasted for several months or, in some cases, several years.

78. Arab and foreign audiences of certain media organizations have questioned the Mission’s credibility
because those organizations use the media to distort the facts. It will be difficult to overcome this problem
unless there is political and media support for the Mission and its mandate. It is only natural that some negative
incidents should occur as it conducts its activities because such incidents occur as a matter of course in similar
missions.

79. The Mission arrived in Syria after the imposition of sanctions aimed at compelling to implement what
was agreed to in the Protocol. Despite that, the Mission was welcomed by the opposition, loyalists and the
Government. Nonetheless, questions remains as to how the Mission should fulfil its mandate. It should be
noted that the mandate established for the Mission in the Protocol was changed in response to developments on
the ground and the reactions thereto. Some of those were violent reactions by entities that were not mentioned
in the Protocol. All of these developments necessitated an expansion of and a change in the Mission’s mandate.
The most important point in this regard is the commitment of all sides to cease all acts of violence, thereby
allowing the Mission to complete its tasks and, ultimately, lay the groundwork for the political process.

80. Should there be agreement to extend its mandate, then the Mission must be provided with
communications equipment, means of transportation and all the equipment it requires to carry out its mandate
on the ground.

81. On the other hand, ending the Mission’s work after such a short period will reverse any progress, even
if partial, that has thus far been made. This could perhaps lead to chaos on the ground because all the parties
involved in the crisis thus remain unprepared for the political process required to resolve the Syrian crisis.

82. Since its establishment, attitudes towards the Mission have been characterized by insincerity or, more
broadly speaking, a lack of seriousness. Before it began carrying out its mandate and even before its members
had arrived, the Mission was the target of a vicious campaign directed against the League of Arab States and
the Head of the Mission, a campaign that increased in intensity after the observers’ deployment. The Mission
still lack the political and media support it needs in order to fulfil its mandate. Should its mandate be extended,
the goals set out in the Protocol will not be achieved unless such support is provided and the Mission receives
the backing it needs to ensure the success of the Arab solution.

X. Recommendations:

83. In view of the above and of the success achieved in executing the provision of the Protocol, which the
Syrian Government pledged to implement, I recommend the following:

• The Mission must be provided with administrative and logistic support in order allow it to carry out its
tasks. The Mission must also be give the media and political support required to create an appropriate
environment that will enable it to fulfil its mandate in the required manner.

• The political process must be accelerated and a national dialogue must be launched. That dialogue should
run in parallel with the Mission’s work in order to create an environment of confidence that would
contribute to the Mission’s success and prevent a needless extension of its presence in Syria.

(Signed) Muhammad Ahmad Mustafa Al-Dabi
Head of the Mission

Annexes

1. List of observers, their nationalities and their distribution.
2. List of media organizations identified and a list of media organizations that entered Syria, according to the
official information.
3. List of the names of observers who declined to complete the Mission.
4. List showing the number, types and distribution of vehicles and the countries that provided them.

Translated from Arabic
League of Arab States Observer Mission to Syria

SYRIA: CIA-MI6 Intel Ops and Sabotage
by Felicity Arbuthnot - Global Research, February 7, 2012
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.php?context=va&aid=29126
“In order to facilitate the action of liberative (sic) forces, ...a special effort should be made to eliminate certain key individuals. ...[to] be accomplished early in the course of the uprising and intervention, ...
Once a political decision has been reached to proceed with internal disturbances in Syria, CIA is prepared, and SIS (MI6) will attempt to mount minor sabotage and coup de main (sic) incidents within Syria, working through contacts with individuals. ...Incidents should not be concentrated in Damascus …
Further : a “necessary degree of fear .. frontier incidents and (staged) border clashes”, would “provide a pretext for intervention... the CIA and SIS [MI6 should use … capabilitites in both psychological and action fields to augment tension.” (Joint US-UK leaked Intelligence Document, London and Washington, 1957)
“'The very concept of objective truth is fading out of the world. Lies will pass into history." (George Orwell (Eric Arthur Blair, 1903-1950.)
For anyone in two minds about what is really going on in Syria, and whether President Assad, hailed a decade ago as “A Modern Day Attaturk”, has become the latest megalomaniacal despot, to whose people a US-led posse of nations, must deliver “freedom”, with weapons of mass, home, people, nation and livelihood destruction, here is a salutary tale from modern history.
Have the more recent sabre rattlings against Syria* been based on US-UK government papers, only discovered in 2003 - and since air brushed (or erroneously omitted) from even BBC timelines, on that country?(i)
In late 2003, the year of the Iraq invasion, Matthew Jones, a Reader in International History, at London’s Royal Holloway College, discovered “frighteningly frank” documents:1957 plans between then UK Prime Minister, Harold Macmillan, and then President, Dwight Eisenhower, endorsing: “a CIA-MI6 plan to stage fake border incidents as an excuse for an invasion (of Syria) by Syria’s pro-western neighbours.” (ii)
At the heart of the plan was the assassination of the perceived power behind then President Shukri al-Quwatli. Those targeted were: Abd al-Hamid Sarraj, Head of Military Intelligence; Afif al-Bizri, Chief of Syrian General Staff: and Khalid Bakdash, who headed the Syrian Communist Party.
The document was drawn up in Washington in the September of 1957:
“In order to facilitate the action of liberative (sic) forces, reduce the capabilities of the regime to organize and direct its military actions … to bring about the desired results in the shortest possible time, a special effort should be made to eliminate certain key individuals.
“Their removal should be accomplished early in the course of the uprising and intervention, and in the light of circumstances existing at the time.”
In the light of President Assad’s current allegations of foreign forces and interventions, cross border incursions (as Colonel Qadafi’s before him, so sneered at by Western governments and media – and, of course, ultimately proved so resoundingly correct.) there are some fascinating, salutary phrases:
“Once a political decision has been reached to proceed with internal disturbances in Syria, CIA is prepared, and SIS (MI6) will attempt to mount minor sabotage and coup de main (sic) incidents within Syria, working through contacts with individuals.
“Incidents should not be concentrated in Damascus … care should be taken to avoid causing key leaders of the Syrian regime to take additional personal protection measures.”
Further : a “necessary degree of fear .. frontier incidents and (staged) border clashes”, would “provide a pretext for intervention”, by Iraq and Jordan - then still under British mandate.
Syria was to be: “made to appear as sponsor of plots, sabotage and violence directed against neighbouring governments … the CIA and SIS [Her Majesty's Secret International Serivce, MI6] should use … capabilities in both psychological and action fields to augment tension.”
Incursions in to Iraq, Jordan and Lebanon, would involve: “sabotage, national conspiracies, and various strong arms activities”, were, advised the document, to be blamed on Damascus.
In late December 2011 an opposition “Syria National Council” was announced, to “liberate the country”, representatives met with Hilary Clinton. There now seems to be a US – endorsed “Syrian Revolutionary Council.”
The Eisenhower-Macmillan plan was for funding of the: “Free Syria Committee” and “arming of political factions with paramilitary or other actionist capabilities”, within Syria.
CIA-MI6, planned fomenting internal uprisings and replacing the Ba’ath-Communist-leaning government, with a Western, user-friendly one. Expecting this to be met by public hostility, they planned to: “probably need to rely first on repressive measures and arbitrary exercise of power.”
The document was signed off in both London and Washington. It was, wrote Macmillan in his diary: “a most formidable report.” A Report which was: “withheld even from British Chiefs of Staff …”
Washington and Whitehall had become concerned at Syria’s increasingly pro-Soviet, rather than pro-Western sympathies - and the Ba’ath (Pan Arab) and Communist party alliance, also largely allied within the Syrian army.
However, even political concerns, were trumped by Syria then controlling a main pipeline from the Western bonanza of Iraq’s oil fields, in those pre-Saddam Hussein days.
Briefly put: in 1957, Syria allied with Moscow (which included an agreement for military and economic aid) also recognized China - and then as now, the then Soviet Union warned the West against intervening in Syria.
Syria, is unchanged as an independent minded country, and the loyalties remain. It broadly remains the cradle of the Pan Arab ideal of Ba’athism, standing alone, since the fall of Saddam Hussein’s regime.
In 1957, this independent mindedness caused Loy Henderson, a Senior State Department official, to say that:“the present regime in Syria had to go …”
Ultimately, the plan was not used, since, British mandate or not, neighbouring countries refused to play. However, the project, overtly, bears striking similarity to the reality of events over the last decade, in Syria – and the region.
In a near 1957 re-run, Britain’s Foreign Minister, William Hague has said President Assad “will feel emboldened” by the UN Russia-China vote in Syria’s favour.
Hilary (“We came, we saw, he died”) Clinton, has called for: “friends of a democratic Syria”, to unite and rally against the Assad government:
“We need to work together to send them a clear message: you cannot hold back the future at the point of a gun”, said the women filmed purportedly watching the extrajudicial, illegal assassination of may be, or may be not, Osma Bin Laden and others – but certainly people were murdered - by US illegal invaders – at the point of lots of guns.
Supremely ironically, she was speaking in Munich (5th February) historically: “The birth place of the Nazi party.”
The Russia-China veto at the UN on actions against Syria, has been condemned by the US, varyingly, as: “Disgusting”, ‘shameful”, “deplorable”, “a travesty.”
Eye opening, is the list of US vetoes to be found at (iii). Jaw dropping double standards can only be wondered at (again.).
Perhaps the bottom line is: in 1957, Iraq’s oil was at the top of the agenda, of which Syria held an important key. Today, it is Iran’s - and as Michel Chossudovsky notes so succinctly: “The road to Tehran is through Damascus.”(iv)

Syria: White House preaches peace as Pentagon preps for war
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Published: 08 February, 2012, 17:23

A US Marine Corps F-35 Lightening II multirole fighter jet is escorted by two USMC F-18 Hornets as it flies towards Eglin Air Force Base, Florida in this U.S. Air Force handout photo dated January 11, 2012 (Reuters / DoD / U.S. Air Force / Staff Sgt. Joely Santiago / Handout)
http://rt.com/news/syria-pentagon-us-obama-781/
The White House is saying “no” to arming opposition and other military involvement in the Syrian conflict – for the moment. Pentagon and US Central Command launched a review of US military capabilities in case that “no” turns a “yes.”
The backdoor for military action was ajar with State Department, spokesman Victoria Nuland saying that US never takes any option off the table, even though they “don't think more arms into Syria is the answer." It appears the Pentagon has a similar view, as it has reportedly launched a full-scale review of its available military might.
Two senior administration officials told CNN that “options are being prepared in the event President Barack Obama was to call for them.” Support for opposition groups and outright military strikes are among the options being looked at.
This type of planning exercise is typical for the Pentagon, which would not want to be in the position of not having options for the president, if and when they are asked for, both officials told CNN. One of them called the effort a “scoping exercise,” with Pentagon looking into what capabilities are available given other US military commitments in the region.
US President Barack Obama said in an interview Sunday that he believes it is possible to resolve the conflict peacefully “without recourse to outside military intervention.” However, some congressional lawmakers, including Arizona's Republican Senator John McCain, called for the US to explore the prospect of arming opposition forces in Syria.
"We should start considering options, arming the opposition," McCain said. "The bloodletting has got to stop."
The US and other Western powers are wary of engaging closely with would-be rebel forces without the legal protection of UN resolution, similar to the one that was passed in the case of Libya. But in the wake of Russia and China vetoing a Security Council resolution calling for Syrian President Bashar Assad to step down, they are forced to look for other solutions.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has called Sunday for "friends of democratic Syria" to unite and rally against Assad's regime. She has also vowed to strengthen existing sanctions against the Syrian regime and seek further ones to dry up funding and arms shipments.
"We will work to seek regional and national sanctions against Syria. They will be implemented to the fullest to dry up the sources of funding and the arms shipments that are keeping the regime's war machine going," Clinton told journalists. “We will work with the friends of a democratic Syria around the world to support the opposition’s peaceful political plans for change.”
Clinton did not specify who those “friends of a democratic Syria” are, but it could be that the United States proceeds to form a group of like-minded nations to coordinate assistance to the Syrian opposition.

The US outrage over the Syria veto at the UN is rife with hypocrisy – The US has used veto power 83 times primarily to block resolutions against the US and Israel for war crimes and violating international law.

US Outrage Over Syria Veto at UN Rife With Hypocrisy

Wednesday 8 February 2012
by: Stephen Zunes, Truthout | News Analysis

Syrian soldiers secure the area during the visit of Arab League observers on the outskirts of Damascus, Syria, January 26, 2012
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Official Washington has been rife with condemnation at the decision by the governments of Russia and China to veto an otherwise unanimous UN Security Council resolution condemning the ongoing repression in Syria and calling for a halt to violence on all sides; unfettered access for Arab League monitors; and “a Syrian-led political transition to a democratic, plural political system, in which citizens are equal regardless of their affiliations or ethnicities or beliefs.”

Human rights activists were outraged, as they should be. What is striking, however, is the response from US officials and pundits so roundly condemning the use of the veto by these two permanent members of the Security Council to protect the Syrian regime from accountability for its savage repression against its own citizens.

A little perspective is required here: Since 1970, China has used its veto power eight times, and Russia (and the former Soviet Union) has used its veto power 13 times. However, the United States has used its veto power 83 times, primarily in defense of allies accused of violating international humanitarian law. Forty-two of these US vetoes were to protect Israel from criticism for illegal activities, including suspected war crimes. To this day, Israel occupies and colonizes a large swath of southwestern Syria in violation of a series of UN Security Council resolutions, which the United States has successfully blocked from enforcing. Yet, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton insists that it is the Russians and Chinese who have “neutered” the Security Council in its ability to defend basic human rights.

What draft resolutions by the United Nation Security Council did the United States find so terrible that both Democratic and Republican administrations felt compelled to veto? Just to give a few examples:

Enforcement of sanctions against the brutal white minority regime in Rhodesia – 1970
Opposition to South Africa’s occupation of Namibia – 1975
The application of Vietnam to join the United Nations -1976
A call for the creation of a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip with strict security guarantees for Israel – 1976
Sanctions against the apartheid regime in South Africa – 1977
Condemning the ongoing occupation of southern Angola by apartheid South Africa – 1981
Opposition to Israel’s de facto annexation of Syrian territory invaded and occupied in the 1967 war – 1982
Calls for a halt to Israel’s invasion of Lebanon – 1982
Calls for cease-fire between Israeli occupation forces and joint Lebanese-Palestinian forces during the siege of Beirut – 1982
Opposition to the US invasion of Grenada – 1983
Calls for an end of US-sponsored attacks against Nicaragua – 1985
A call to honor the ruling by the International Court of Justice calling for an end to US-sponsored contras against Nicaragua – 1986
Criticism of Israeli attacks against civilians in Lebanon -1988
Opposition to the US invasion of Panama – 1990
Condemnation of Israeli violations of the Fourth Geneva Convention in the occupied West Bank -1997
Establishment of an unarmed human rights observer force in the occupied Palestinian territories – 2001
Condemnation of the killing of UN employees and destruction of a World Food Program warehouse by Israeli occupation forces – 2002
A call on Israel to cease construction of its separation wall deep inside the occupied West Bank – 2003
Condemnation of Israeli assassinations of Palestinian leaders – 2004
Reiteration of the illegality of Israeli colonization in the occupied West Bank and a freeze on additional construction of settlements – 2011
In virtually every one of these resolutions, the United States cast the sole negative vote in the otherwise-unanimous 15-member Security Council. And some of the resolutions vetoed by the United States involved governments responsible for even more civilian deaths than the Syrian regime in its bloody yearlong crackdown.

None of this justifies the Soviet-Chinese veto of the resolution challenging the Syrian regime’s repression, of course. It does, however, make the self-righteous condemnation of this most recent veto by the very supporters of many of these earlier US vetoes look rather ridiculous in the eyes of those who support human rights and international law regardless of the offending regime’s geopolitical alliances.

_________________'Come and see the violence inherent in the system.
Help, help, I'm being repressed!'

“The more you tighten your grip, the more Star Systems will slip through your fingers.”

British, Qatari troops already waging secret war in Syria?
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Published: 09 February, 2012, 14:25

Reuters / David Gray DG / PB

TRENDS:
Syria unrest
TAGS: Conflict, Scandal, Politics, Opposition, Syria
British and Qatari troops are directing rebel ammunition deliveries and tactics in the bloody battle for Homs, according to an Israeli website known for links to intelligence sources.
Four centers of operation have been established in the city with the troops on the ground paving the way for an undercover Turkish military incursion into Syria.
The debkafile site said the presence of British and Qatari troops in Homs topped the agenda of Tuesday’s talks between Assad’s officials and head of Russia’s Foreign Intelligence Service Mikhail Fradkov.
Qatar makes little secret of supporting the Syrian opposition with cash, arms and political support. Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani said in mid-January he is ready to send troops to Syria to stop the violence there. Britain insists it is not planning any military action against the Assad regime.
The scenario painted by the report closely resembles Libya’s collapse into anarchy. UN Security Council resolution 1973 forbade any ground troops from intervening in Libya while creating a pretext for NATO to launch a bombing campaign against Muammar Gaddafi’s troops.
However Qatar, Britain and France later confirmed they had sent units to assist the Libyan rebels. Secret French weapons drops were discovered after they fell into the wrong hands. There were also unconfirmed reports that Western special forces directed air strikes from forward frontline positions and directed combat tactics.
The Libya example was cited by Russia and China when they vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution on Syria last Saturday. Britain, France & the US, who backed the resolution lashed out at Moscow and Beijing, accusing them of siding with a regime that had ‘blood on its hands’.

_________________'Come and see the violence inherent in the system.
Help, help, I'm being repressed!'

“The more you tighten your grip, the more Star Systems will slip through your fingers.”

The Russo-Chinese veto in the UN Security Council effectively prevented a military operation against Syria. Writer and political scientist Igor Panarin believes France, Britain and the US have increased pressure against Moscow following the vote.
In the article below, professor Igor Panarin explains his view.­­­­
Moscow and Beijing have been absolutely reasonable in their concerns about a possible “Libya scenario” being imposed on Syria. A similar UN Security Council resolution on Libya triggered a NATO military operation in support of an armed coup in that country, which resulted in the toppling of a legitimate government. Notably, even with Muammar Gaddafi deposed and killed, there is still no stability in Libya to this day. Not to mention all the Libyan civilians killed by NATO air strikes – something the leaders in London, Paris and Washington are reluctant to admit.
Sergey Lavrov commented on his meeting in Damascus on February 7 with the Syrian president Bashar al-Assad by saying his trip to Syria was well-timed and helpful. “There is every reason to believe that the message we have brought with us [to Syria] for progressing on every track has been appreciated,” Lavrov said.
Kremlin has repeatedly contributed effort to refrain Syria’s civil disorder from escalating, prevent a foreign invasion, and facilitate a peaceful dialogue between Syria’s opposing political parties. Yet the Western powers, who have long pressed for a military intervention against Syria, expressed their utter resentment over the Russo-Chinese stance in the UNSC, and then reacted with outrage to the Russian officials’ visit to Damascus. An intense and comprehensive pressure campaign against Russia promptly ensued.
First, on February 5, a group of people presenting themselves as Syrian opposition activists stormed the Russian embassy in Tripoli, Libya. It is no secret that NATO spec op troops spearheaded the capture of Tripoli by rebel forces in the summer of 2011, and that the present Libyan government is under control of the West. Moreover, the reported “hundreds of Syrian activists” would have no particular reason or opportunity for being in Libya. Which means that the assault against the Russian diplomatic mission was a special operation pulled off by Western secret services. It is very reminiscent of the “stray” missile that hit the Chinese embassy in Belgrade during the NATO bombing campaign against Yugoslavia in 1999. The assault on the embassy is a blatant offense against Russia’s national security, which must be retaliated for adequately.
Secondly, US Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice persistently refers to the “atrocities” allegedly committed by the Assad regime. No sound evidence of such atrocities has been presented so far, which reminds us of former US Secretary of State Colin Powell’s case against Saddam Hussein in 2003 and the alleged weapons of mass destruction, which were eventually never discovered in Iraq.
Thirdly, caving to American pressure, Spain, Italy, Germany, France and Britain recalled their ambassadors from Syria within three days. The US has shut down its embassy in Damascus and evacuated its staff. On February 7, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Qatar similarly withdrew their ambassadors from Damascus. All six of these Arab nations are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council.
Fourthly, the French Foreign Ministry announced on February 8 that President Assad had already violated his commitments negotiated with Lavrov and Fradkov on February 7. Later the same day, the French arranged a phone conversation between Nicolas Sarkozy and Dmitry Medvedev. As the French leader insisted on forcing al-Assad to resign as soon as possible, the Russian president cautioned him against hasty measures.
Fifthly, a number of Arab media outlets circulated a falsified report on February 8 alleging that Russia’s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin had threatened the persistent foreign minister of Qatar with “obliterating” his country. The Russian diplomat subsequently refuted the allegation at a UN-hosted press conference, suggesting that somebody is deliberately trying to put Russia at odds with the Arab world.
Sixthly, the media campaign against Syria has been drastically stepped up, with practically every big-name international network joining the firing squad: the BBC, CNN, Euronews, Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, etc.
Russia wholeheartedly supports a political settlement for Syria and intends to continue its diplomatic efforts involving Damascus, Syria’s neighboring countries and Arab League member states. Apparently, the NATO heavyweights are interested in a different scenario for Syria – hence the amplified pressure on Russia.
NATO’s ultimate objective is most likely turning Syria into another Iraq: a quagmire of ethnic and sectarian violence, locked in endless terrorist warfare among feuding communities. Similarly to Iraq, Syria is also a patchwork nation with its own Sunni, Shia and Christian communities. The chaos that is very likely to follow an illegitimate deposition of the Assad government may claim hundreds of thousands of civilian lives. For reference, some 700,000 civilians have perished in the war-torn Iraq since its “liberation” by the US-led coalition, with some 5 million refugees fleeing the country. Syria’s population is roughly equal to that of Iraq: 24 million. All these people are now hostages to a military gamble orchestrated by the same powers that have turned Iraq into a perpetual war zone.
It would be next to impossible for Syria to survive such a massive instigation campaign without help from friendly nations. In turn, Syria is also Russia’s last stand: the recent assault against the Russian embassy in Tripoli has demonstrated that Russia could also be on NATO's list of potential targets. Syria is Russia’s strategic ally, who could assist Russia in restoring its military presence in the Mediterranean. There are also considerable economic interests concerning Russian arms and hardware sales to Syria. One important transaction of late has been the shipment of several Yak-130 lead-in fighter-trainers to Syria in January 2012, especially considering the timing of the deal.
A further spread of war and chaos in the Middle East would put Russia’s national security at risk, making its southern frontiers more vulnerable to infiltration by terrorists and insurgents. That is why, along with rendering support to Syria through diplomatic, political and press-coverage means, Russia should also consider forming a Special Operations Corps to secure its national interest through preventive action in the Middle East.
Prof. Igor Panarin, Doctor of Political Sciences, special to RT
The statements, views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of RT.

_________________'Come and see the violence inherent in the system.
Help, help, I'm being repressed!'

“The more you tighten your grip, the more Star Systems will slip through your fingers.”

Turkey is getting ready to seek out legitimacy for international intervention, should the U.N. Security Council not reach a ruling, in an alternative arena in order to halt the bloodshed in Syria. The first step towards forming the ‘Friends of Syria’ Group will be taken at the February 13th meeting of the Arab League. [...]

The three main stages of the plan [Turkey’s] Foreign Affairs Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has referred to as the "new roadmap" is as follows:

1- First and foremost all efforts will be made to secure a U.N. ruling. For this purpose, Prime Minister Erdogan called Russian State Leader Medvedev to deliver the message, "Assad stalled us, and he stalled the Arab League. This time don't let him gain more time by stalling you as well." Should Russia maintain their current stance against U.N. intervention then the legitimacy to establish the infrastructure for a potential operation in Syria will be sought from an alternative arena.

2- Should a U.N. ruling not be reached or should it not be enough to stop Assad then the international community will come together in order to intervene and establish sanctions just like what happened in 1999 against Kosovo and in 2003 against Iraq. The initial stages will involve isolating Assad by withdrawing international diplomats and closing all political doors.

Davutoglu held a series of meetings in Munich for this very purpose. In addition to obtaining Germany's support, Davutoglu also spoke with his counterparts in Iran, Qatar and Italy. While Turkey is preparing to host the meeting of the 'East' and the 'West', the first step to establish the Syrian Friends Group will be taken at the February 13th Arab League meeting.

3- The first objective of the ‘Friends of Syria’ Group, which will consist of the Arab League, the African Union, the EU and the United States, will be to stop Assad and to help the Syrian public by setting up a buffer zone in order to open a border crossing to provide food and humanitarian aid and later, if necessary, to save civilian lives.

Informed sources have uncovered a US plot entailing a Turkish incursion and a full-scale Israeli strike to overthrow the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

The sources said aspects of the plan such as rejecting calls by Damascus for an Arab League meeting over the crisis in the country, recognizing of the Syrian opposition as the “legitimate” government of the country and granting them offices in Turkey to work against the Syrian government, have already been carried out.

As part of the plan, Syrian embassies and consulates would be attacked in several countries and the diplomatic offices would be used as bases to inflict heavy blows on the Syrian government.

According to the sources, the other parts of the US plot which are in process or expected to happen in the near future include:

Firstly the Syrian government will be demonized as a war criminal and its case will be taken to The Hague and international human rights bodies.

Washington will then task Turkey with sending troops across the border into Syria to incite internal friction and civil war within the country by arming Syrian civilians and the opposition against the government.

In the next step, Washington will arm Wahhabi fighters and members of the Fath al-Islam in Tripoli, supported by the Qatari army and Libyan fighters, and order them to attack Syrian border villages.

Israel will jump into the fray by expressing readiness to carry out military operations against Syria. Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman recently announced he would be visiting the US next week. He is expected to meet with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, US senators and other senior officials.

Officials close to Lieberman were quoted by Israel sources as saying that the he will ask the US government to increase international pressure against Syria, urging Washington to go beyond sanctions in line with efforts to overthrow the Syrian government.

Jordan, another Syrian neighbor, will also announce its readiness for military intervention in Syria upon receiving the US green light order.

Al-Qaeda militants stationed near the Iraqi-Syrian borders will also start operations inside Syria after receiving a US-Qatari order.

Syrian Television channels will then be removed from Nilesat and Arabsat satellites to prevent the Syrian government form airing its side of the developments.

New Syrian passports will be issued and Syrians who do not obtain the new document will not be allowed into Western and Arab countries.

One necessary condition for the success of the plot to topple the Syrian regime, according to the informed sources, will be the defection of Syrian armed forces and the prime factor in the conspiracy will be the assassination of the Syrian president.

_______________________________

related news:

2,000 prefabricated houses to be built for Syrians

Turkey is planning to set up 2,000 prefabricated houses for Syrians seeking refuge in Turkey's southern provinces near the Syrian border.

We wanted al-Assad to be Gorbachev, he turned into Milosevic: Davutoglu

Turkey had hoped that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad would handle his country’s crisis like ex-Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev but he turned into former Yugoslavian leader Slobadon Milosevic instead, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu has said in Washington.

Triggering a new balance on Syria after a double-veto at the UN Security Council, Turkish Foreign Minister Davutoglu declares that Turkey’s doors are open to ‘all Syrians who want to flee from oppression’ at home

Missiles with a range of 2,500 kilometers are a realistic target according to Professor Yücel Altınbaşak, head of Turkey’s State Scientific Research Institute. However, analysts remain uncertain as to Turkey’s capacity or need to achieve this goal

Senior Military Aide to the Iranian Supreme Leader Major General Yahya Rahim Safavi blasted the US for its hostile position against Tehran, and said Washington has tasked Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey with directing the regional developments against Iran's policies.

Gulf states and Turkey hold meeting in Istanbul to continue conspiring against Syria

Days after intelligence reports revealed that intelligence crews from some Gulf states, Turkey, the US, France and Israel have been supervising camps for gathering, recruiting and training mercenaries and terrorists inside the Turkish territories, Turkey and Gulf states on Saturday held a meeting in Istanbul to discuss activities of their terrorist groups operating in Syria.

Turkey’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Davutoglu reminded that Libya’s former leader Gaddafi is no longer alive because he did not heed any warnings, and stated that Syrian leader Assad has also not put a stop to the violence nor kept to the promises made.

Members of Turkish Parliament Human Rights Committee: Syrians being trained in guerilla warfare in camps in Antioch

Members of the Human Rights Committee at the Turkish Parliament said on Saturday that there are special camps in Antioch areas in which individuals who fled Syria are staying and are being trained in guerrilla warfare.

All this is thanks to the terrorists the west and the USA have trained, armed and funded.

Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Syria. Moscow and Beijing explained that if adopted, the resolution would enable NATO to 'replay' the Libyan scenario in Syria. There have already been several attempts to do so.

Two blasts rocked the city of Aleppo in Syria on Friday as terrorists attacked military intelligence offices and interior troops' barracks. The attacks killed 30 people and left more than 170 injured. These huge simultaneous twin-bombings in Aleppo are obviously the work of an intelligence agency, most likely the CIA, due to their size and method.

Neither are the weapons being found on the terrorists of the type you would normally think would be found on your average Syrian.

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The Syrian people are under attack from a foreign power and they know it, which is why they have turned out in massive pro-government demonstrations, not reported by western corporate media.

That brings us to the current plotting and scheming. Pravda.Ru is informed by Syrian sources that there has been movement of chemical agents among the terrorists and that a false flag operation is planned for Valentine's Day.

A massacre of colossal proportions will be blamed on the Assad government forces in order to bring down the weight of the western war dogs on Syria and to force Russia to change its balanced call for dialogue and diplomacy.

This must not be allowed to happen, so we are giving notice here and now that plans for such an attack are underway, just like the Homs false flag, timed exactly for the UN resolution vote.

Syrian people are reporting that many of the "dead" are seen walking around the next day. Numerous are the reports of terrorists working with western media to spread false reports, Hollywood backdrops out of Qatar, films made in other Arab countries showing extreme repression against demonstrators and claiming it happened in Syria.

After failure to gain support in the UN Security Council for further interference in Syria, the western countries, particulary the USA, have been stomping their feet like spoiled, petulant children. One of their first pronouncements was that "we must provide weapons to the opposition." Read to the terrorists.

The problem with this being that they have already been pouring arms, money and training to the terrorists...nothing new here, move right along.

"We must consider, among other actions, providing opposition groups inside Syria, both political and military, with better means to organize their activities ..., to defend themselves, and to fight back against Assad's forces," urged the three US senators.

Their "Free Syrian Army" is neither free nor Syrian. They are a gang of thugs and terrorists, attacking military leaders and ordinary Syrians.

They began their terrorist activity by attacking barracks, police on duty and setting fire to tires to attract police so that they could fire upon them.

How would such activity be met in any western country? Well we see what they are doing to unarmed OWS protesters: beating, tasing and every type of indignity. And these are unarmed people.

This space showed Pravda readers the "unarmed peaceful civilians" in Libya. The same is happening in Syria. Don't believe for a second that the Assad government attacks unarmed, peaceful civilians.

The Assad government has been more than willing to engage in dialogue and reform, but this does not sit well with the west or their terrorist stooges, whom they have directed to refuse all such negotiation.

The bottom line is that the west sees Syria's strategic position in the Middle East and believes that by toppling Assad that they can also weaken Iran.

Before we come to a close here, we also wish to mention another situation. It seems that many MIG29s have been sent from Hungary to Israel. Most likely the markings are going to be changed into Iranian markings, at which time they will use these aircraft to be sacrificed for a "Pearl Harbor" type attack, justifying the long sought after war against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

'Praemonitus, praemunitus' forewarned is forearmed. A word to the wise should be sufficient. The world community is not prepared to accept any further manipulations or lies from the west.

The people of Syria should be left to determine their own future and the west must cease and desist from agitation and arming terrorists. Let them cram their "war on terror" where the sun don't shine. They have done more to promote the practice of terrorism than anyone in history.

The arrogance of westerners puffed up with "human rights" hubris helps Mossad, CIA and MI6 to sell war over and over again, and it must stop. I received in the mail just this morning an urgent appeal from Amnesty International doing just that and I told them what they could do with it.

_________________'Come and see the violence inherent in the system.
Help, help, I'm being repressed!'

“The more you tighten your grip, the more Star Systems will slip through your fingers.”

Experts will help Syrian refugees and army defectors record details of war crimes in Syria, in plan designed to make potential perpertrators think twice

by William Hague, Daily Telegraph, 12 February 2012

The Syrian people's terrible ordeal shows no sign of ending. A week ago, Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council Resolution supported by all 13 other members of the Council. They chose division when the international community should have shown unity. But President Assad should not think he is off the hook. We will use every peaceful means possible to tighten the diplomatic and economic stranglehold on this vicious regime.

In Parliament last week I set out our seven point plan to step up the diplomatic pressure. The Arab League initiative remains the best chance for peace in Syria and it should be implemented. Arab Foreign Ministers are meeting this weekend to consider the options. We are working with them to set up a coalition of nations to bring the widest possible political, economic and diplomatic weight to bear on President Assad's regime. We are working to ensure that later this month the EU will adopt new sanctions against Assad's regime to help choke off the regime's sources of revenue.

At the same time we will not be deterred from seeking UN condemnation of the violence and backing for the Arab League plan, either through the UN General Assembly or the Security Council. We will urge Russia and China to support this.

In order to help people in Syria affected by the violence and those trying to develop a peaceful alternative to the regime, we have intensified our contact with members of the Syrian political opposition and we are calling for free and unimpeded access for humanitarian agencies to deliver life saving support to the Syrian people.

On top of this, we must end any illusion the regime has that it can act with impunity in Syria. There is no doubt that mass murder is being committed. Some 6,000 people have already been sacrificed to the regime's brutal determination to cling to power. Those carrying out these crimes may well think that they will get away with it.

However that is what Ratko Mladic and Radovan Karadzic, the architects of the blood-soaked siege of Sarajevo, probably thought; or Slobodan Milosevic when he presided over ethnic cleansing in Kosovo and Bosnia; or Charles Taylor when he committed his crimes in Sierra Leone. They were wrong: all have gone on ultimately to face international justice.

Those ordering the siege of Homs, the shelling of Idlib and the torture of Syrian children need to be put on notice that their crimes will come to light, and that they should stop these actions now.

Part of this must be to record the testimony and evidence of those who are fleeing Syria or suffering on the ground.

We will be sending British experts to the region in the coming days and weeks to help gather evidence and document human rights violations, working with NGOs already carrying out such work. We must help ensure that atrocities in Syria are documented to an international evidential standard suitable for local and international courts.

In conflicts of the past there was no systematic collection of evidence against those who committed heinous crimes. This has made prosecutions harder to mount, and longer and more costly when they take place. Often witnesses are required to testify many years after the event. Our work will be designed to support that process now.

In the past few months, Britain has commissioned experts to travel to the Syrian refugee camps in the region to document the evidence of crimes committed by the Syrian regime. We will step up these efforts. We are also providing funding to help human rights organisations in the region gather evidence against the perpetrators of crimes. Already, the organisations we are working with have spoken to hundreds of Syrian activists, refugees and army defectors who have fled their homeland since the start of the uprising. They have collected hundreds of interviews, testimonies and eye witness accounts. This is empowering ordinary Syrians to build up a strong evidence base against the regime and security services responsible for crimes against humanity.

This is only a start. I will be asking other nations to take similar action to ensure that ordinary Syrians have access to the justice they deserve. Foreign Office officials will work with our partners to set up a Syria-wide human rights abuse documentation hub to collate the mounting evidence of crime that exists. We will help ensure that it is preserved and safeguarded, in the interests of justice and of the Syrian people.

I have also instructed our Ambassadors in Lebanon and Turkey to report back to me on the situation on the border and among Syrian refugees, and to assess what other support Britain can offer.

At the same time, we will return to the UN Human Rights Council to push for an extension of the mandate of the Syria Commission of Inquiry, with a new focus on ensuring accountability in Syria.

The world must send a clear message to the Syrian regime that those who commit atrocities will be held to account, and those taking part in them now should urgently reconsider their actions.

There is a chance of saving Homs and its people from the fate endured by cities like Sarajevo in the 1990s.

It requires the regime to stop the violence and President Assad to step aside to permit a new political process. It also lies in the hands of individual Syrians to refuse to participate in the regime's campaign of terror and murder. So while we step up the diplomatic and economic pressure on the regime, we will also strive to ensure that fate of its victims is not forgotten and the extent of its crimes cannot be hidden.

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